Tom Coburn: “This program doesn't match the definition or criteria of an earmark approved by the Senate in January or used by the…”

“This program doesn't match the definition or criteria of an earmark approved by the Senate in January or used by the Congressional Research Service. On January 16, 2007, the Senate approved an amendment by a vote of 98 to zero, defining the term ``earmark'' as a provision or report language included primarily at the request of a Member, delegate, resident commissioner, or Senator, providing, authorizing or recommending a specific amount of discretionary budget authority, credit authority or spending authority for a contract loan, loan guarantee, loan authority or other expenditure with or to an entity or targeted to a specific State, a specific locality or a specific congressional district, other than through a statutory or administrative formally driven competitive war process. This doesn't come anywhere close to that definition. It doesn't meet any of criteria that the Senate has defined as earmark. It is hogwash to call this an earmark, and everybody knows it.”